Dear Readers,
The USA is pursuing an open technology in the area of car propulsion and fuel types. Now a study has been published by the U.S. Department of Energy, concluding that the U.S. can produce an estimated 60 billion gallons (227 billion liters, or 180 million tons) of CO2-emitting and liquid biofuels while meeting projected demand for food, feed, conventional forest products and exports without restriction.
One billion tons of biomass could meet over 100% of the projected demand for jet fuel (SAF) in the country, which would allow the U.S. to fully decarbonize the aviation industry with sustainable jet fuel.
The analysis ensures sustainable outcomes by considering potential risks to soil, air and water quality, water availability, and the need to protect U.S. forests and biodiversity. I have attached the report for your review.
EWABA (Belgium), representing more than 55 stakeholders from the EU waste-based and advanced biodiesel supply chain, welcomed the long-awaited inclusion of additional feedstocks in Annex IX of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED). This expansion of feedstocks will broaden the availability of waste-based and advanced biofuels for all modes of transportation and alleviate some of the pressure on some feedstocks used to produce waste-based biofuels that have been under heavy focus. EWABA members would like to emphasize that the introduction of catch crops/cover crops for the supply of fuels exclusively for the aviation industry in Part A of Annex IX will have negative consequences as it affects the equal treatment of all sectors and calls into question the principle of technology neutrality, which is a crucial pillar for investment security. We believe that the additional incentive for intermediate/cover crops will steer them towards the aviation industry, to the detriment of their use in other hard-to-decarbonize sectors, such as heavy-duty transport and the maritime sector in particular. https://www.ewaba.eu/news/ewaba-press-release-on-annex-ix-revision
Lhyfe has received confirmation from the French government of a financial support in the form of a grant of up to €149 million for the construction of a green hydrogen production plant with an installed electrolysis capacity of 100 MW near Le Havre. More: https://www.lhyfe.com/press/lhyfe-receives-from-the-french-government-a-grant-of-up-to-149m-for-large-scale-production-of-green-and-renewable-hydrogen-near-le-havre-in-france/
In the UK, scientists at the University of Sheffield, together with the Bio-Based and Biodegradable Industries Association (BBIA) and Green Rose Chemistry, have been awarded funding to establish a UK science and regulatory network to accelerate the transition to a bio-based economy. https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/switch-bio-based-economy-boosted-new-university-sheffield-initiative
zero44, provider of digital CO2 management solutions, has published the “FuelEU Maritime Calculator“. zero44 has developed this tool to help shipping companies quickly and easily understand the financial impact of the planned FuelEU Maritime Regulation on their business. The results are estimates and are not binding, but provide a good starting point to look at the costs and cost factors of FuelEU Maritime. https://www.thedigitalship.com/martimecioforum/itemlist/tag/FuelEU
Acciona announced that it has acquired 100% of the shares in the Kwinana Waste-to-Energy project as part of an agreement with Macquarie Capital and the Dutch Infrastructure Fund. The company said the plant is expected to be operational in the last quarter of 2024, when it will divert up to 460,000 tons of waste per year from landfill and deliver 38 megawatts of baseload electricity to Western Power’s grid, enough to power more than 50,000 homes. Bede Noonan, Chief Executive Officer of Acciona Australia, said: “Acciona is pleased to play such an important role in the construction of Australia’s first waste-to-energy plant – a major facility that will provide Western Australia with critical waste management and sustainable energy infrastructure.” https://www.acciona.com.au/updates/news/acciona-acquires-kwinana-waste-to-energy-facility/?_adin=02021864894
In Australia, ABEL Energy is accelerating the potential construction of an A$1.7 billion methanol production plant on a 16-22 hectare site at Cleveland Bay Industrial Park in the Townsville State Development Area to produce 400,000 tons of green methanol per year. https://publicspectrum.co/abel-energy-accelerates-green-methanol-facility/
American Express Global Business Travel is urging the UK government to create “a stable policy landscape” that supports the scaling of sustainable aviation fuels ahead of the UK’s planned SAF mandate. https://www.businesstravelnewseurope.com/Management/Amex-GBT-urges-UK-government-to-support-SAF
Irish-owned biofuel and renewable energy company ClonBio has announced plans to invest $500 million in a biorefinery in Wisconsin. According to the report, ClonBio’s biorefineries use natural processes to refine grains for various applications, including proteins and fibers for human and animal consumption, ethanol and organic fertilizers. The Group plans to increase its existing investments following the purchase of the biorefinery in Jefferson, Wisconsin, in 2022. Over the past 18 months, ClonBio has invested $100 million in the facility, which is now the largest grain processing and ethanol production plant in the state, the report added. https://www.qcintel.com/biofuels/article/ireland-s-clonbio-to-invest-500m-in-us-most-advanced-ethanol-plant-22305.html
Carreras and Cepsa have signed a cooperation agreement in Spain to promote the use of 100% renewable diesel (HVO), a biofuel that reduces emissions by up to 90% throughout its life cycle (from production to use). CO2 emissions compared to conventional fuels. Carreras already fills up with 100% renewable diesel at one of the five Cepsa service stations where this fuel is available, e.g. in Mercazaragoza (HVO can also be filled up in Cerro de la Cabaña, La Junquera, La Cañada and Araia). This biofuel is compatible with current diesel engines, so vehicles do not need any investment or adaptation to use it. https://biofuels-news.com/news/carreras-and-cepsa-sign-agreement-to-promote-renewable-biofuels/
Suma Capital has acquired 80% of the share capital of ATH Bioenergy, a company focused on the production and commercialization of biomethane. This is a pioneering initiative aimed at transforming the energy and waste recovery landscape in the Canary Islands towards a more sustainable and competitive future. The remaining 20% of the capital remains in the hands of the project promoter, the Swiss company Tibanna AG. The innovative nature of ATH Bioenergy lies in its revolutionary approach to the management and utilization of organic waste, including hotel and supermarket waste, pruning and organic material. These materials are converted into biogas and biomethane, reused in hotels and marketed to other industries looking to decarbonize their energy consumption. https://sumacapital.com/en/suma-capital-80-ath-bioenergy-transform-canary-islands-energy-future/
CARBIOS Active has announced that its enzymatic solution for the biodegradation of PLA, has been added to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s inventory of effective food contact substances (FCS) with the assigned Food Contact Notification (FCN) 2325. With this milestone, CARBIOS Active can be used to manufacture packaging materials sold in the United States that come into contact with food, including rigid and flexible packaging and other applications. https://www.bioplasticsmagazine.com/en/news/meldungen/20240311-FDA.php
Nasr Petroleum Company and Global Technical Services (GTS) have signed a letter of intent to conduct a feasibility study on the production of green hydrogen in Egypt. According to the MoU, green hydrogen will be produced at Nasr Petroleum’s facilities in Suez. The agreement stipulates that Nasr Petroleum will identify the necessary infrastructure to establish a plant for the production of green hydrogen to be used alongside natural gas in distillation furnaces, according to the report. https://petroleum-today.com/en/article.php?id=1561
Australia’s first biomethane injection plant has been officially certified by GreenPower, marking an important next step for Australia’s emerging renewable gas sector. GreenPower Renewable Gas Certification means that the gas produced at the Malabar Biomethane Injection Plant (MBIP) will be issued with Renewable Gas Certificates, certifying that the gas produced at the plant is carbon neutral. The certification comes after Jemena and Origin Energy signed a biomethane supply agreement in March 2023, under which Origin could purchase up to 110 TJ of biomethane per year from the MBIP. The MBIP is a partnership between Sydney Water and leading energy infrastructure company Jemena. The project is also supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. https://esdnews.com.au/malabar-biomethane-project-gets-greenpower-certification/
HIF Global, Idemitsu Kosan, the Japanese petroleum company, and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd (MOL), announced an agreement to develop an eFuels supply chain between HIF facilities and Japan. The agreement also outlines how the companies will explore the potential for supplying carbon dioxide (“CO2”) from Japan for use as a feedstock for the eFuels production process at HIF plants currently under development in the U.S., Australia and Chile. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hif-global-idemitsu-kosan-and-mol-co-operate-to-develop-efuels-supply-chain-302091068.html
A research team led by Dalian University of Technology, China, has reported the first cobalt-doped yttrium phosphate (Co-YPO4) catalyst, for preferential activation of ethanol to form acetaldehyde and subsequent C-C coupling and dehydration to butadiene. The catalyst exhibited 68.5% selectivity to butadiene in an ethanol conversion of 78.2% at 350 °C, and thereby close to 61% yield to total olefin (butadiene and ethene). The work is published in the Chinese Journal of Catalysis. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-strong-interaction-favorable-ethanol-dehydrogenation.html
A study by the nova Institute forecasts annual growth of 17% for bio-based polymers in Germany between 2023 and 2028. In 2023, the total production volume of bio-based polymers amounted to 4.4 million tons, which corresponds to 1% of the total production volume of fossil-based polymers. At 17%, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of bio-based polymers is significantly higher than the overall growth of the polymer market (2-3%), according to the nova Institute. https://renewable-carbon.eu/news/current-market-study-forecasts-annual-growth-of-17-for-bio-based-polymers-between-2023-and-2028-demand-from-asia-and-the-usa-in-particular-is-driving-growth-europe-is-lagging-behind/
The Horizon Europe project Biological Resources Certifications Schemes (BioReCer) has published a comprehensive strategy paper entitled “Valorization and Use of Biological Waste and By-Products Supports the European Bioeconomy”. It emphasizes the central role of organic residues in promoting the circular bioeconomy in support of the European Green Deal. The application of adapted current certification schemes for bio-based value chains is highlighted as a key solution. The policy brief highlights the valorization, certification, sustainability and traceability of organic residues. Aligned with the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC, the EU taxonomy, the EU regulation on corporate due diligence and other relevant regulations, the BioReCer recommendations call on policy makers to prioritize the use of sustainable organic residues in order to reduce dependence on fossil feedstock and the associated greenhouse gas emissions. The six recommendations formulated by BioReCer aim to trigger policy reforms and industry initiatives to unlock the full potential of organic residues as valuable raw materials for bio-based products. https://renewable-carbon.eu/news/biorecers-policy-brief-advocates-for-valorisation-and-use-of-organic-residues-to-drive-european-bioeconomy/
The Philippine government confirms that the negotiations are underway between the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Airbus for possible cooperation on a carbon dioxide removal initiative. “President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has received a commitment from Airbus to work with the Department of Transportation on the use of advanced biofuel technologies and the extraction of carbon dioxide from the country’s landfills for possible use in the aviation sector,” Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cheloy Garafil said. Garafil also said that Airbus is part of the US Department of Transportation’s working group to create a roadmap for the sustainable use of aviation fuel in the country. https://pco.gov.ph/news_releases/pbbm-gets-commitment-from-airbus-to-work-with-dotr-on-energy-sourcing-from-ph-landfills/